Selector tuning device



May 20, 1930. J. o. PRESCOTT SELECTOR TUNING DEVICE Original FiledNov.22. 1929 INVENTOR JOHN C. PRESCOTT 7 BY Q I ATTORNEY Patented May 20,1930 I STATES" PAT T OFFICE zomro. ransco'r'r, or amma, coimncrrcu'r,ASSIGNOR r commam rnonoawn com amr, me, or sarnenroa'r, connnc'rrcu'r, Acoaroaa'rroiv or ivrzwv roan- Original application and November Thisinvention relatesto' automatic radio" station selector. means, beinga'division of easilytuned in, the means visua ly indicatmy applicationSerial Number 409,007, filed November 22nd, 1929.

An object of the invention is to'provide means whereby astationmay beuic ly and ing to the tuned in.

operator that a stationis properly Another objectis to provide a meansas statedincluding means for displaying the call letters of the stationas the same is tuned in. p

A further object is to. provide a radio d al and associated means fortreating the dial ;when a station has been tuned in on a set indicatingmeans, will show that a station is associated with the dial,thetreatment of the dial being such that the tuning in of such station willbe instantly noted when the dial is again manipulated for that purpose.

Another object is to provide means for treating a radio dial whereby theproper position of the dial for tuning in various stations will bereadily visible on the dial,

the means or method of treating the dialbeing such that the dial maagain be treated to remove the effects of t e first treatment, wherebyit may be retreated for thesame purpose.

A further object of the invention is to pronection with the accompanyingdrawing.-

In this description and drawing preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention are described and shown but it is to be understood thatthese are purely for the purpose of disclosing the principlesof'construction and operation of the invention, and that the inventionis not limited to the arrange ments disclosed, but that reference mustbe isnmncron TUNING Device 22, 1929, Serial No.- 409,007, u Divided andthis application filed April '1, 1930. Serial No.'440,750.

hadto theannexed claims for adefinition of the limitations of theinvention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a radio dial showingthe same associated with an escutcheon plate window;

Fig.2 is a view of the escutcheon plate window of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the means fortreating the opaquesurface on the dial of Fig. 1, to form a translucent or transparent linethereon for the'purpose of indicating -when a station is tuned in; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the arrangement shown'in'Fig. 3. v

In the specification and claims the word dial is used'in the ordinarysense in which it is used in the radio art. That is, it indicates acircular disc, or a section of a band on the periphery of a rotatabledrum, or a film which may be moved in a flat plane.

Referring in detail to the drawing at 5 is shown a portion-of the radiodial which may be of any'preferred construction but which is shown asthat of the drum type. This dial may be formed of any suitable materialas paper, celluloid or the like and has the usual graduated markings 6along one edge. The dial is rotated or otherwise manipulated by anysuitable means snot shown) as is well known in the art, an passes in therear of an escutcheon plate window 7 for indicating pointers 8 forco-operation with the dial 5 to show'where a stationis tuned in on aradio set with which the dial is associated.

For the purpose of the present invention,

.thedial 5 is preferably divided into three zones numbered respectively9, 10 and 11.

Zone 9 contains the graduations 6 while zone 11 is rendered opaque orsubstantially so by the use-0f any removable opaque material appliedtoone surface of the said zone. If desired, the corresponding surface 12of escuttheon plate window 7 (Fig. 2) may also be rendered opaque exceptfor the narrow slot shown. Zone 10 is provided in order that theoperator may write in the station gall1 letters at the proper pointsalong the Figs. 3 and 4 show one form of means for cator 8 the samestation wi locatin stations on the dial 5. In the ope ration the devicethe set is tuned to bring in sharply the desired station and the.mochanism of Figs. 3 and 4 is operated to scratch a;.=

' For accomplishing thispurpose nismincludes a scratching or scrapingpoint i 13 secured to or formed with a bar 14 mounted on or instationary guides 15 whereby the bar ma bemoved in'a strai ht path; 7 8fcourse, the g on which is also end portion of a in 20 on the bar 14;

One surface '0 thezone 11 beingico at vious from t e foregoingdescription andac companying drawing that after a station has" beenproperly tuned in, manipulation of theknob 18 to operate thecam16willmove the osition. of Fi ."4:

bar 14 from the full line to the dotted line position 0 that figure. ecam ma thenbe manually actuated through the no 18 to render the bar 14to its normal position,.,or spring means may be rovided or this purposeas shown. Sue spring means comprises a' in'21 carried by'the bar-14 andhaving one en of the coil spring 22 anchored thereto, the other end othe sprin being anchored to a pin 23 carried by one' o the stationaryguides or brackets 15.

Movement of the scraper or scratcher point 18 across the opaque zone 11serves to remove 1 a portion of the opaque material, forming -a line orscratch through said material tothe surfaceofthedialfi. This operationof tuning a station in and; catalogluniithon the dialby Iscratching'a te o aqlue coating of zone 11 is 't e desire stations are line througrepeated "until a catalogued on the dial,' each station beingrepresented by a scratch through the opaque coating on therear'surfaceof the zone 11 of the dial. The call letters for therespective stations may be written on the zone o posite the scratches towhich they apply. 1 15 when it is again desired to tune in anyparticular station, dial 5 is manipulated to brin the line or scratchrepresenting the selecte station to a point opposite the pointers orindicators 8 ofthe escutcheon plate window in'connection with which thedial is being used.

For the purpose of increasing the visibility of the scratches or linesthrough the opaque bar '14 is mounted, for recip rocatory movement inthe guides-15' and means are provided for imparting such movement tothebar. Asg'shown this means takesthe form of a cam 16 mounted on ashaft'17- provided a knobor. button 1 18 for manipulating the cam. Cam 16hasv ,an arcuate notch19 in which'is received the" spend with thenews'elect o ns o locationsof" 5, the entiredial ispreferabltranslucento with an opa ue removable substance it -is.ob g 1 I 7 rialcoated v with carbon particles;-; or:

' coati'ng which not penetrate,- and may on said dial; v;2.'Incombinati0n', a radio dial havmg a": 1

.. loeation -ori'theidial 9: a particular broadrelation to particularcombinations it will be; V apparent that changes maybe madein the l.various combinations of parts, further;it1wiIl-f V j" be understoodthat should there befanyt f changesin the broadcasting stations, such asthe assignment of new wave lengths and the-' a like-,the surface of"zone 11 may again be coat ed with some removable opaque substance to rcoyer 11p theoriginal scratches j-o'r]lines and'f new scratches or'linesmaybemade corre stations;

Before treatment of thezone 11 f the dia transparent .and may-"b070--jany';;substahe t' which ma be renderedmore-or -lessfopaqu or imperectly' translucent by;- a; ;coatin -0 p treatment, the ,efi'ectof-whichisefiacea l'e'.'- An example of such substancesis-c'elluloid erthe like coated with a removable dark lacf quer or'shellac'; or fibroustranslucent mate-' other translucentlinaterialwhich may be renlderedmore or less-opaque by fumes or other on be scraped "or wipedother dissolved ofi by any .yolatile or non volatile substancev lfigthusdescribed Iclaimis'rch-f p 1 a L'JIn combination, a radio'dialincluding- -a more 'or-less'opaque portion and means to" engage saidportion to treat the same to make a translucent line" across saidportion to m- 'f I dicate-the' location of a broadcasting station 7 10s"portion of'its surface treated to render it;

more or less opaque, and means adaptedto be moved across said-treatedsurface to form translucent'flinethereacroSsto show the casting stations1 r v '3.In combination a radio dia'Phaving a' portion of its surfacecoated-to render it more or less opaque, means adapted'to be'movedacross said surface to scratch through said coatin whereby a translucentline is formed through said portion to indicate the location on the diof a radio broadcasting s ta* 4. The combination as-irij claim 3, saidmeans includin areciprocating means scarrying the scratc or means. r p I5.- The combinat'on as in claim, 3, means including reciprocating meansand cam means to operate the reciprocating means I '7. (5."1hecombinationas in claim 3', said means including reciprocating"means,'cammeans to operate the reciprocating means in one direction, and 8 ringmeans to operate it in the o posite direction. 7. In com ination a,radio dial, a source of light in the rear oi said dial, a portion ofsaid dial being more or less opaque, an indicator means and means tosaid opaque portion of time dial to make-trenslucent lines thereontoindicate the location'thereon of broadcasting stations, whereby I whensaid translucent lines are opposite said indicator means the light willbe visible through them and a. station will be properly tuned in;

Signed at New York, county and State of New York this 17th day of March1930 A. D.

JO N 0. PRESCOTT.

